


All These Moments With You

by iceiceiceiceice



Series: With You [2]
Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future Fish, Butlers, Established Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Implied Sexual Content, One Night Stands, One Shot Collection, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2020-11-26 02:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20922737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceiceiceiceice/pseuds/iceiceiceiceice
Summary: A collection of one-shots to accompany "Every Tomorrow With You"! Includes stories from their past, future and everything in between and beyond (yes, AUs).More tags will be added as chapters are posted.





	1. Lost Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Past / AU) A story from when they were kids which might or might not have happened.

It wasn't like Sousuke had never been to a zoo before so he wasn't all that excited when his homeroom teacher announced a class trip to a nearby zoo just outside of town. But Rin was quite eager to go, especially since he would be transferring to another elementary school soon. So in the end, Sousuke decided to sign up, get his parents' permission and go with his best friend.

Walking around and looking at animals was fun enough until something else caught his attention.

Well, _ someone_.

The girl, maybe his age, was wearing a pretty blue dress which meant she definitely wasn't part of the class trip. Her wavy brown hair framed her porcelain face and just about reached her small shoulders. She was _ very _ pretty.

Pretty enough that when she turned and their eyes met, Sousuke felt his cheeks warm.

Then he noticed how watery her dark eyes were. Standing on a shoulder in the path, she quickly tore her gaze away and looked around her. No one else was paying her any attention.

Sousuke looked at his group. They were watching tigers walk around in one of the exhibits, Rin right up front and pressing himself against the fence.

Making up his mind, Sousuke gripped the straps of his backpack and walked over to the girl. "Hi," he said plainly.

She'd been eyeing him curiously ever since he started walking over but remained silent now that he stood in front of her. It took a moment for her to respond. "Hey."

Her fingers were playing with her hair. Sousuke tore his gaze away from the movement. Might as well get right to the point, he decided. "Are you lost?"

"No," she answered way too quickly.

"Where are your parents?"

"They're here..."

"Right."

The girl puffed out her cheeks, pouting. "What's your problem?"

"You looked like you were about to cry. I couldn't just ignore that."

Her features softened then and she murmured a soft, "Oh." She dug the tip of her shoe into the grass beneath them. "Yeah, okay, maybe I'm a little lost," she finally admitted.

Sousuke refrained from grinning triumphantly. "You should find a customer service counter or something. They can make an announcement or contact your parents, you know."

The girl scanned the surrounding area again before looking the other in the eye. "I don't know where that is!" she exclaimed in frustration, surprising the other.

He started, blinking at the suddenness. Then he held out his hand for her to take. "Me neither. We can ask my teacher." When she didn't respond, he started to feel embarrassed. But stomping off now would be cruel—she was still close to tears, he could tell. Maybe he should've gotten Rin to come along with him before approaching the girl. He coughed to snap her out of her thoughts.

"You came with your school?"

Really? That was what she chose to ask after all that?

"Yeah. I'm wearing a uniform, aren't I?"

The girl chewed on her lip but put her hand in the offered one, holding tight. "I'm Akane."

He smiled a little. "Sousuke, at your service." He turned to pull her to where he last saw his class but...

They weren't there anymore. Cerulean eyes searched for some familiar figures but the only kids in uniform looked like they were teenagers playing hookie. Where did the others go?

"Sousuke?"

The boy looked back at Akane who was peering at him curiously. She was rubbing her eyes with the back of her free hand and he found himself staring. Her eyes were really dark—obsidian, even, because they were shiny from her almost-tears.

"Where are your classmates?"

Sousuke felt embarrassed again. "I... may have gotten separated."

A few beats of silence passed between them. Then Akane hit his arm with the same hand that had been wiping away her tears.

"Are you serious?" she snarled at the same time he cried, "Ow, that hurt!"

They glared at each other for a moment but, realizing the girl was too stubborn for her own good (she had even refused to admit she was lost earlier so he shouldn't have expected anything less), Sousuke conceded and broke eye contact, rolling his eyes. Gripping her hand still, he tugged her in one direction.

"Where are we going?" she demanded but followed the boy nonetheless.

"There should be a map somewhere. We can find help through that."

Akane stumbled a few steps before falling into step with him. Walking past the tiger exhibit, one of the creatures let out a brief roar. She let out a surprised squeak and clung to Sousuke who snickered.

"Sh-shut up."

"I didn't say anything, Akane."

"You _ laughed_."

Sousuke thought about it and smiled to himself. "Yes, I guess I did." He shrugged.

Akane opened her mouth to retort but a shadow loomed over them then. The pair glanced upwards to see a woman in a greased apron smiling down at them.

"Hello, little ones," she cooed, voice sounding the slightest bit too sweet. "Would you like some takoyaki to snack on while you look around?"

Sousuke actually did feel a little hungry. He _ was _ going to wait it out for the school-sponsored lunch later but he didn't know when they would be reunited. Besides, his parents had given some spending money so he could buy one or two—

He felt Akane shift behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her eyes look anywhere but at the lady at the vendor. She kept a straight face but maybe she was actually nervous around adults? That would explain why she didn't take the initiative to ask for directions or something when she got lost.

So the boy shook his head at the older woman. "No, that's okay. We're actually looking for the help desk? My friend and I got lost."

*

"I can't believe you told her we were lost just like that."

Sousuke faced the girl sitting next to him. After saying what he did to the vendor, she brought them to a cafe and gift shop area not too far away. Akane was silent the whole time so Sousuke had to do all the talking. When they actually got to the reception desk there though, Akane had to explain her situation herself which turned out to be not so different.

Where Sousuke had gotten distracted by the teary-eyed girl, she had wandered off to see the bears when she got separated from her family.

The zoo employees made an announcement through the intercom and instructed the kids to sit by at a nearby table while they waited for their supervisor or parents to fetch them.

"Why shouldn't I?" he remarked at her statement.

Akane shrugged.

"Are you scared to talk to grown-ups?"

"No."

The boy smirked. "You answered too quickly again."

Her eyes rolled as she pushed herself off her seat. "Whatever. I'm going to look at the fish." With that, she trudged off to look at the fish tank along one wall. One of the clerks observed her for a moment before returning to his work.

Sousuke got up too and joined the brunette. He leaned his back on the glass, watching her instead of the fish. Her onyx eyes were big and bright as they followed the swimming creatures. So the boy straightened, turned and looked at the fish too.

They spent a minute or two like this—him listening to Akane hum softly and seeing her vague reflection on the glass more than anything. Then Sousuke got bored. "Are you really enjoying this?" Or was she purposely ignoring him?

"Of course, I enjoy it. Don't you?"

"It's just fish—and they're not even big ones."

"I still think they're cool. See, look at that one go!" She pointed to a shiny green-blue fish rapidly swimming past the others, to the other end of the tank.

Sousuke watched it until it slowed down around a small coral reef.

"Swimming is fun."

"You like to swim?"

"Yeah."

"Me too."

Akane beamed. "It's fun, right?"

"You said that already," he pointed out with an amused smile.

"Well, I mean it." Akane laughed, her nose crinkling, and the two kids smiled at each other. Okay, so maybe zoos weren't so boring after all—the getting lost part, he could do without, but...

Sousuke pointed a finger at a puffer fish. "I think I like this one better."

The girl leaned closer to the tank to see, pretending to squint. "What? It's kind of ugly—" She cut herself off with a squeak because the puffer fish inflated all of a sudden, scaring her.

Unable to contain it, Sousuke burst out in laughter, throwing his head back and clutching his sides. It made him unsteady so when Akane shoved him, playful as she was, he stumbled on his feet but the girl caught his arm. The almost-fall made her laugh too.

"_Neechan!_"

Akane turned. The person who had called out was waving enthusiastically from the entrance of the cafe. A smaller, lighter-brown-haired girl tugged on her father's hand and rushed over to Akane who ran forward to meet her part-way. An older woman, who was with them, fell to her knees and pulled Akane into a hug.

This must be her family.

"Are you alright, Akane?" asked who must be the father. They looked alike.

The woman released her daughter and held her at arm's length as she answered. Akane nodded and apologized for wandering off. Her parents spared her a moment to reprimand her but Sousuke could tell how worried they were so it wasn't too harsh.

But when they said something about going for lunch, Akane shook her head. "We can't go yet. Sousuke would be alone."

"Sousuke?"

Pouting stubbornly, she half-turned and pointed to Sousuke who was still standing by the fish tank. The boy stiffened awkwardly. She was pretty shameless, this one, he thought as he heard her explain what happened to her family.

Her parents shared a look before turning to Sousuke.

"H-hey, I'll be fine, Akane-chan. You should go with your family," he told her.

"No," she simply said.

Jeez, he just wanted to glare at her then—no doubt she was probably doing that already. But his heart felt kind of warm that she wanted to wait here with him. He opened his mouth to insist she go off—this was kind of embarrassing, they didn't actually know each other—but her father smiled kindly.

"Alright, we can wait here a while," he conceded. He turned to his wife but Sousuke didn’t catch what he said because Akane was walking back over to him, closing the distance quickly. Over her shoulder, he saw her parents at the counter, talking with the zoo employees. Whom he assumed was Akane's sister was pressing up against the fish tank, following the fish with her eyes, not unlike Akane was doing just moments ago.

Sousuke must've had a questioning look on his face because Akane smiled and shrugged. "You're only in this situation because of me so it's only fair we stick together until it's over."

He blinked at her but then nodded, humming sagely. "Yes, I suppose this _ is _all your fault."

"Hey, I'm taking responsibility, aren't I?" She laughed again and poked his side.

The boy squirmed away. "Don't do that."

"What, are you ticklish?"

Before he could deny the accusation, he was almost knocked over as someone crashed into his other side. He had to fight to stay upright, preparing a glare for the klutz. But he felt his features soften immediately when he saw that head of maroon hair. "R-Rin?" he sputtered dumbly.

His friend flashed him a toothy grin. "Found you, Sou! You know, if I had known you only sneaked off to be with a girl—"

"I didn't."

"—I wouldn't have been so worried."

Sousuke rolled his blue eyes but smiled. It was hard to stay mad at Rin. "You came alone?"

The other boy shook his head, pointing to the counter where there now stood a third adult—their homeroom teacher was talking with Akane's parents. "Everyone else is at the aviary. I made sensei take me along to fetch you." He looked proud of himself.

"Boys, come here." Their teacher beckoned the two boys over and they obeyed, Sousuke meeting Akane's eyes for a moment before he did.

Akane followed behind them, going to her parents instead.

Sousuke's teacher berated him but the lecture mostly went in one ear and out the other. It wasn't like he really wandered off or anything and as soon as he got separated, he was pretty sure he handled it correctly. Right?

He glanced to the side and caught Akane staring at him. Instead of turning away and blushing like he thought she would—girls were like that, he didn't understand them—the brunette grinned wider and subtly lifted a hand in a small wave.

The boy tried to return the gesture but he must've not been as subtle because his teacher snapped at him in exasperation. He brought his attention back to the older woman talking to him. She sighed and patted his head gently. "You two, stay here. I'm going to make a call." With that, she stepped away and pulled out her phone.

"Go on, say goodbye to your friend." That was Akane's mother talking.

As if on cue, Sousuke locked gazes with the girl again and they approached each other, meeting in the middle. Rin, being the good friend he was, stayed put. Over Akane's shoulder, Sousuke could see her parents going over to the fish tank where their other daughter lingered.

"Hey," Akane said softly, stealing the boy's attention. There was pinkness in her cheeks, hinting at an embarrassment that didn't show anywhere else on her face. "Don't get cocky and try to save anyone else, okay?"

Sousuke deadpanned. "Gee, you could just say thank you."

She snickered, making her nose wrinkle. "Thanks." Then she kissed his cheek.

It happened so fast, it took Sousuke several seconds to realize it happened at all. His head whipped around to see who saw what took place. Rin was the only one even glancing in their direction but he looked away as soon as their eyes met. His ears were red.

Hearing Akane giggle at him, Sousuke felt his face burn. He pretended to wipe the cheek she had kissed with the heel of his palm. "No problem," he muttered.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Akane nodded to acknowledge them. She waved, turned and skipped off to the fish tank where her family was so Sousuke trudged back to Rin and his teacher. He spent the walk back to their group trying to calm himself down—which was a little difficult with Rin's teasing.

_ **[ [cover](https://ultraimg.com/images/2019/10/07/t20z.png) & [image credit](https://www.zerochan.net/1776833) ]** _


	2. Again With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Future) They're finally dating but why does it seem like Akane is avoiding from getting intimate?

It started off slow. Akane would turn her face away when Sousuke tried to kiss her. She would play down _ any _ sexual tension when he tried to set the mood. She even nudged his hand away when he put it on her leg under the dinner table!

Tonight, though, as they were curled up on her couch for a date night while the rest of her family was away, Sousuke tried again. They were lying on their sides, Sousuke spooning the smaller brunette as they watched a movie about a girl people would forget when they didn't see her... or something along those lines. Sousuke wasn't paying much attention.

Half an hour into the movie, Sousuke put his arm over his girlfriend's slim waist. Akane shifted but didn't push him off—something he was surprised he even thought she might do. Minutes later, he was pretty sure Akane was even snuggling into him. She was warm.

Then he lightly stroked her side and when he received no reaction, his lips gently touched her shoulder. Akane tensed up slightly under his arm. "Sousuke," she murmured quietly, in warning.

Undeterred, Sousuke continued his ministrations onto the side of his girlfriend's neck. He heard her say his name again, a little louder this time, but he only hummed in response.

God, he missed this.

Akane turned her head to meet his gaze over her shoulder. She looked like she wanted to say something but Sousuke kissed her before she could, taking the opportunity to slip his tongue into her open mouth. The girl let out the most adorable gasp then. Sousuke pressed closer to her eagerly, enjoying the cherry flavour.

After a second of hesitation, Akane started to kiss back. Tentatively, at first, until Sousuke sighed into the kiss which made the other smile behind it. Akane cupped his face with one hand. But when Sousuke responded in kind, she stiffened and then pulled away.

The familiarity was a little scary.

His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Are you okay?"

The girl blinked, her cheeks flushed. "Yeah." She giggled suddenly but it didn't make her nose crinkle. "But we're supposed to be watching a movie, Sousuke."

As she tried to return to her previous position, Sousuke moved to hover over the girl and pin her hands down on the sofa cushions. She smirked up at him. "Sousuke..."

"Akane," he cooed back. "We can watch a movie another time. It's not like we get to be alone all the time."

"_Ah_, you're in the mood."

"You're not?"

Akane bit her lip, the corners quirked upwards. The universe must have something against her speaking because just as she opened her mouth, her phone rang. With a sigh, Sousuke let her go so she could answer it, flopping onto his side again.

The girl got up, answered the call and spent a few minutes talking with Hattori, during which Sousuke patiently waited for her. When she finished, he asked, "Is everything okay?"

Akane sighed and leaned her back against an armrest. "Yeah, Hatsue just wants to copy my notes before our next class."

"I mean, is everything okay between _ us_?" Sousuke sat up to lean on the opposite armrest, trying not to sound as worried as he felt.

Confusion creased Akane's brow instead. "Yes. Right?"

Sousuke tried to think of a way to approach the subject—bluntly asking, _'D__on't you want to have sex?' _seemed a little too, well, blunt. It took him a long minute. "Alright. Then let's have sex tonight." Great, much more subtle.

Akane scoffed a laugh.

"I'm serious! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're avoiding it." There was a smile on his face but when the other didn't respond for a long moment, it dropped. "You're kidding..."

"I just thought we should take it slow."

Sousuke felt even more confused. "We've already slept together—pretty much the first thing we did, even."

"That's exactly what I mean!" Her shoulders hunched guiltily. "I know we agreed we don't have to do things in order but I don't want to skip all that build-up either, you know what I mean? Am I making any sense?"

"Can I say no?"

"Sousuke."

"_Akane_," he pleaded back.

The girl didn't say anything. Just smiled sadly. She looked serious, he could tell she wasn't going to back down—and not just because she was stubborn like that. This was important to her. So Sousuke exhaled slowly, smiled back and nodded. "Okay. Okay, let's take it slow."

Akane smiled. "You'll survive." She crawled over to her boyfriend to give him a quick kiss on the lips, wrapping her arms around his torso.

The boy hugged her back as they smiled at each other. When she tried to get off, he tightened his hold to keep her in place. "That's not fair."

"What isn't?"

"You can't just deny me sex and then act all cute like that."

Akane laughed. "Alright, I'm sorry. Now let me go, big guy." She put her hands on his chest to push herself off and Sousuke let her.

*

The first test to his resolve occurred about a week later when the couple decided to get a drink together at a popular bubble tea shop.

Someone knocked into them and spilled their drink on Akane's soft pink skirt and right thigh. Though she accepted the heartfelt apology, her mood was spoiled so the pair took their half-finished drinks to the car Sousuke borrowed from his brother that weekend and headed home.

The girl worked on her skirt as soon as she got into the passenger seat.

Sousuke settled into the driver's seat, watching her with a bit of amusement. "Need some help?"

"No, it's okay. Can you just drive me home?" With a sigh, she used a wet tissue to wipe down the parts that made contact with the stranger's drink.

Sousuke started the engine and drove. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I just hope this won't stain," she muttered before groaning, frowning at her boyfriend. "Seriously, it's a _ tea _shop. How'd I end up bumping into the one guy that ordered coffee?"

The other couldn't help but chuckle at that.

They stopped at a red light then so Sousuke looked over to his left. Akane was focused on cleaning her leg now. And Sousuke focused on how the tissue was swiped across porcelain skin. Again and again. He saw no difference to it but he appreciated the visual, nonetheless. Akane had really nice skin. He loved her legs too, they fit so well around him.

A honk from the car behind them had Sousuke jerking into action. Green light. Whoops.

Feeling eyes on him, cerulean eyes flicked to the other passenger. "What?" he asked.

"Were you... staring at me?"

"It's not my fault you're hot."

Akane laughed. "Don't tell me you're pent up already?" she teased. She would poke him too but the boy was ticklish so none of that for the driver.

Shaking his head, Sousuke clicked his tongue. "Okay, but if I have to hold back, we need to set some ground rules."

"Like what?"

"Like you can't wear short skirts. Or shorts. And no fitting shirts, either."

The girl laughed again at that and Sousuke got a quick glance at her expression. Her nose crinkled, he noted. Cute.

*

"You're toying with me, aren't you?"

Akane only hummed in response, moving her knight.

Across from her, Sousuke stared at the chess board. There was no real strategy to his moves, simply trying to lose as few pieces as possible while taking the other's. His opponent remained unfazed whenever he did do so. Is she trying to hide her tells or was he just not that good at chess?

Unsure what to move next, the boy went with his gut and moved his queen. Unfortunately, without any hesitation, Akane took that same piece and put her own in its square. Did she plan that?

Sousuke groaned which made the other laugh.

"Are you even _ trying_?" she asked.

"Maybe I'm not that motivated."

"I see. Victory isn't good enough of an incentive?"

"At this point, I'm just trying to survive longer," he joked back. His hand hovered over his knight, contemplating. "We _can_ make this a bit more interesting."

Akane quirked an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind?"

"A bet. If I win, we have sex."

The girl howled with laughter. "Nope!" she answered immediately.

"Fine. If I win, I choose the next game then."

"Why do I get the feeling that it would be something like strip poker?"

Sousuke blinked at her, restraining a smirk. "Maybe."

Akane laughed again, nose crinkling, but she shook her head at him. "No, Sousuke. Seriously, I need more time." She met his eyes steadily, giving a small smile.

The other returned the gesture with a smile on his own, raising his hands in surrender. "Point taken. Sorry." He picked up his knight and moved it. Then he felt a hand on his free one. There was softness in Akane's onyx eyes as she thanked him.

*

Akane swept at her forehead with the back of her hand. Cooking at the stove for a long time sure did get hot but she was used to it. The smell of turmeric and caramelized onions gave a sense of comfort too. But the cherry on top had to be the boy who accompanied her in the kitchen.

The girl turned to look at where Sousuke was rinsing lettuce leaves at the sink. It was a simple, mundane task but there was something about the sight that got her heart beating just a little bit faster. Maybe it was how Sousuke had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off the defined muscles of his arms, or maybe it was how preparing dinner together was the epitome of domestic bliss.

Then again, maybe it was because this whole chastity agreement was finally getting to Akane.

_ Nah_, probably not, she reasoned in her head as she turned back to the pan on the stove before her boyfriend could catch her staring.

Akane stabbed a piece of chicken in the pan, with a fork. Lifting it to her lips, she blew on it a few times. "Here, taste this?"

Sousuke put the freshly washed lettuce into a bowl, wringing his hands to get the water droplets off, before he went over to Akane. He let her feed the food to him and chewed on the chicken piece thoughtfully. "That... tastes really good," he finally said.

"Really?"

"Really."

"That's not just your stomach talking, is it?" The girl poked his abdomen lightly, too lightly for it to tickle.

Sousuke grabbed that hand. "Ha-ha," he said but smiled warmly.

Akane giggled, grinning up at the other, nose crinkled in amusement.

Leaning downwards, Sousuke kissed his girlfriend. She kissed back with more vigour than either expected but the boy didn't complain. Still, he pulled away because he didn’t trust himself to stop again if they went any further. Akane tried to chase after his lips as he backed off but quickly stopped herself, blushing.

Okay, maybe she _ was _ feeling a bit dry from the lack of sexual activities recently.

Sousuke's face was a little red too but he turned away to continue preparing the salad.

"You're getting better at that," Akane remarked behind him.

The other smirked. "At kissing or at backing off?"

She snorted. "At dicing onions. I'm impressed."

Sousuke blinked at her. "Approval on my knife skills? From Hanamura Akane?" he murmured dramatically. His arm was promptly punched for that.

*

Akane watched her boyfriend's tense shoulders as he walked ahead of her. Was he upset? Not with her, surely, she reasoned. But it was hard to think differently when Sousuke had barely turned to look at her since they left the club.

She wanted to say something but...

No. No _ buts_. Steeling her nerves, Akane spoke up: "Sousuke, hey, slow down."

Part of her thought he would just ignore her—which would be a totally dick move, by the way, because she knew he could hear her. Unless he was that lost in whatever was going through his head.

On the contrary though, Sousuke stopped suddenly and glanced at the girl. Akane halted to a stop as well, staring at him. His eyebrows were furrowed but other than that, his features were surprisingly gentle.

"Sorry," he finally said, lifting one corner of his mouth into a half-smile.

He started walking again and she followed his lead. They were in-step, this time.

"You seem... upset."

Sousuke snorted. "Of course. The way that guy talked to you... it's disgusting."

Without looking at him, Akane took his hand into hers. "You don't have to worry about me. I could've handled him." She chuckled a little, thinking about the incident.

A stranger had walked up to Akane while she waited for her drink at the bar and he was very persistent about hitting on her. She had tried to simply brush him off but then he started talking about how anyone dressed in a skirt as short as hers was begging for it. She didn't have to ask what '_it_' was. Akane was just about to throw her newly arrived drink in the man's face when Sousuke showed up, telling the guy off for being sleazy with a girl who was obviously not interested.

"I know you could." Sousuke's voice interrupted her flashback.

Oh. She didn't even realize they had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk again. They were facing each other and Akane could see the slight bruise forming on the boy's face from when the guy at the club got pissed and threw a punch at him. The both of them got kicked out after that so Akane quickly followed after her boyfriend.

Sousuke shrugged then. "But you didn't have to. I just didn't like... hearing what that asshole said."

Akane smirked. "It wasn't so long ago that you said the same thing he did about how hot I am."

She thought he'd laugh at that, like they usually would to lighten the mood, but the boy frowned. "That's not funny, Akane. There are so many other things, _better _things, I love about you." He touched her cheek, warmth filling his cerulean eyes.

It was the perfect moment for a kiss and Akane felt it coming too but again, she was wrong. Sousuke's hand retreated and he flicked his eyes away. The girl quickly leaned up and captured his lips with hers. It was a strong kiss, hot and intense. It was _ so _ difficult to pull away from that so Sousuke was thankful that the other was the first to do so. But this was far from over.

"Let's go to a motel," she whispered against his lips.

The boy spoke before she could kiss him again. "Hey, wait, that wasn't my intention. I don't want to take advantage of you."

Those were familiar words, Akane thought. He had said the same thing when she admitted she was feeling vulnerable during the pregnancy scare that had brought them together. Who said chivalry was dead?

With a sigh, she wrapped her arms around his back and leaned her cheek against his strong chest. She could hear his faster-than-usual heartbeat. "You're too good for me, you know that?" Sousuke remained silent so she continued. "But I'm not running into your embrace because I'm feeling vulnerable. It's really okay now."

It took another second before Sousuke said: "Why now?"

Akane let him go so she could look him in the eye. "Look, the truth is... I needed to prove to myself that what we have isn't just physical. And ever since we agreed to wait, I realized I look forward to seeing you even without the prospect of sex." Her cheeks were pink and one hand had reached up to finger her hair tips.

Sousuke quirked an eyebrow. "Akane, our entire getting-to-know-you period didn't involve sex."

"Yeah, well, that wasn't the main concern then."

The boy couldn't help but smile a little. At first, she worried they mistook responsibility for love. Then she wanted to make sure they weren't mistaking lust for love. It was sweet, in a way, because he knew she wanted their feelings to be real.

He kissed Akane's forehead, as if to quell any remaining worries from her mind. "I don't like you because I want to sleep with you. I want to sleep with you _ because _ I like you."

Her eyes were warm as she gazed into his. She smiled. "I know. It's the same for me too. I miss your touch." Akane held his hand again.

Sousuke kissed her briefly.

*

She felt warm. The blankets were surprisingly cozy. Eyes still closed, Akane smiled a little and reached out to the other side of the bed. The coldness there jolted her awake.

Akane sat up quickly in panic. She was usually the one who left first— Wait, _no_, she shouldn't have to do that anymore. She had a boyfriend now. She had Sousuke. But where was he? Her throat felt tight as she wondered this. Did he leave?

"Morning."

Her head whipped around to see Sousuke exit the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair looked still damp and there was a warm look on his face. Akane smiled. She giggled and it made her nose wrinkle.

"Good morning, handsome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That movie I mentioned at the beginning is a 2015 Japanese film called "Forget Me Not" and I have so many feelings about the ending T_T


	3. A Forbidden Love With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (AU) The Hanamura family is part of a higher class society so a butler like Sousuke really shouldn't be falling for their eldest daughter.

His face was the first one Akane saw when she woke up. Not to say it displeased her but Yamazaki wasn't exactly the smiley sort. Still, she supposed it was much better than the extreme friendliness of Momotaro who attended to her sister.

"Good morning, milady," the butler said, smiling though it didn't reach his eyes. Polite and formal.

Akane closed her eyes, and took a couple of deep breaths. "Good morning." Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she pushed herself into a sitting position as Yamazaki positioned a breakfast tray over her lap. "So what's on the agenda today?"

He turned his back to her to probably prepare a cup of tea, as per routine. And what a gorgeous back it was, she thought to herself. It was kind of unfair that her personal butler, someone she had to see almost every waking moment, had such broad shoulders and a defined body—she knew because she had seen him roll up his sleeves to cook once and _ man _, did those arms flex.

Most of the men in her circle had more lithe bodies, being an aristocrat meant less physical labour. The same goes for the women, unfortunately. But Akane had a type.

Yamazaki turned again then, catching her lingering eyes before she glanced away. He placed the teacup on the tray. "You have your usual lessons in the morning and then tea with your sister and Gou-san."

"What about dinner?"

"Your parents won't be available today."

"Ah." The girl lifted the teacup to her mouth, sipping too quickly and wincing at the heat that almost burned her tongue.

"Careful, it's hot."

Akane glanced at her butler out the corner of her eye. "That would've been a useful warning a little earlier, Yamazaki."

Was it just her or did he smirk a little? "My apologies," he said, sounding amused, "_milady_."

The girl felt like punching him in the face but at the same time wanted to laugh a little too. Their interactions usually went like this, hinting at an unspoken friendship she didn't dare venture into. That wasn't the kind of world they lived in.

He had only been working for her family for a while.

There were currently five butlers in the Hanamura household. The head is Seijurou Mikoshiba who recently got promoted to serve directly under her father—she had to call him by his first name now since his younger brother Momotarou was employed too. The latter was the one to attend to Akane's sister, Chigusa.

Then there was Rin and Nitori who didn’t have a specific charge. Rin was a Matsuoka, a family friend and fellow aristocrat but was training here for a reason Akane didn’t know—some row or something back home.

Yamazaki was the latest addition but by far, her favourite. She didn't know why but she just _ liked _ him.

Not that it mattered, Akane thought to herself. She finished her breakfast quickly. "Call Hatsue in on your way out, would you?"

"Are you sure I cannot assist you instead?"

"Not unless you want to undress me." Akane met his gaze steadily as she said this, daring him to retort and was mildly disappointed when he didn't. But one corner of the boy's mouth twitched and that was a good enough reaction.

*

Akane liked Matsuoka Gou, really, and her slew of attractive butlers did make the prospect their play dates more appealing. But Gou had always been more of _ Chigusa's _ friend, what with them being the same age and all.

The older Hanamura felt the truth of that, that very evening. The two younger girls were talking about something, something funny apparently because they giggled continuously to each other, but Akane couldn't bring herself to join in. Not even the fact that Tachibana, Gou's head butler, lingered in the background, ready to attend to his mistress, could lift her spirits.

When she finally got too bored, Akane lowered her empty cup. Yamazaki moved to refill it but she stopped him. "No, I think I'm done for the day, actually," she told the other girls.

Her younger sister frowned. "Are you feeling alright, neechan?"

"Yeah, you've been pretty quiet all day," Gou pointed out. She put her cup down on the table and one of her butlers poured some more tea into it. He had blue hair.

Akane smiled politely. "Just a little under the weather, I think. I'll be fine, I just need some rest." She stood and heard her chair being pulled back, allowing her more space to move. It was Nitori. Immediately, Yamazaki was by her side too. She looked at him. "No, I'd prefer to go alone."

"But, milady—"

"_Alone_."

"Please, let us go with you, milady," Nitori urged warmly.

Rin nodded, the movement stealing the others' attention. "Or at least one of us. What if you collapse and no one's around? Sou, you should go with her."

"Ooh, Rin-chan's sure settled into his butler role nicely." The soft remark came from one of Gou's butlers, that blonde one, and he had whispered it to another. Apparently, it was not soft enough because a light shade of pink made its way onto Rin's cheeks as he glared at the blonde.

Akane could hear it too but her eyes had locked with Yamazaki's cerulean ones and she couldn't look away. '_Sou_', was it that he was called? She wondered what that was short for.

In any case, the butler seemed to be restraining a smile. It could be because his friend was being teased or could it be because that same friend was pushing them into a situation together? Akane shook that fantasy out of her head. That would be ridiculous.

Sousuke nodded to the door, stretching one arm out in that direction. "Shall we?"

She rolled her eyes at herself, feigning annoyance at the butlers' insistence. _There they go_, she thought, deciding things for themselves. "Fine. Let's go." She didn't say how many of them could come with her but Yamazaki was the one to open the door for her. Then it was only the two of them in the hallway.

They walked in silence at first, her feet automatically making their way to her bedroom. But as they came to a junction, she went left.

"Milady, your room—"

"If you dare suggest I don't know where my own room is, Yamazaki, I _ swear _ I'll..." She trailed off, waving a hand by her head.

Yamazaki was silent for a while. And then: "May I ask where we're going instead, milady?"

"The garden. And quit calling me that, would you?"

"With all due respect, it's the proper way of addressing—"

"Yeah, well, I need a break, okay?" Akane whirled around to face him, hands on her hips.

The butler had to stop suddenly when she did and their gazes locked intensely. He must've seen the seriousness in her eyes or something because after a few seconds, he nodded. "Okay." His shoulders relaxed when the girl heaved a sigh.

"Walk with me, not behind me," she commanded, continuing down the hallway without looking back.

The boy obeyed tentatively. "What should I call you for now then?" he tried. It felt kind of odd. If anyone caught him speaking so familiarly like this to the aristocrat, he'd get in trouble. But orders were orders, he reasoned.

"Just Akane would do."

This time, he didn't fight her. "Alright... _ Just Akane_."

The girl glared at him out the corner of her eye but he didn't miss how she restrained a smile at his remark. That was more like it.

"Yamazaki feels too formal. What was it that Rin called you? Sou?" she replied, sounding the most relaxed she had been all day.

"Yeah."

"What's that short for?"

"Sousuke."

"Sousuke." Akane nodded to herself. "Okay, I'll call you that."

Without meaning to, the boy let out a chuckle.

"What?"

Sousuke couldn't help but smile a little. She may have been the one to suggest they speak more familiarly but she still sounded a little stiff. "It's nothing. Akane."

*

Their relationship had always been hinting at a friendship, their banter being the most subtle Sousuke ever took part in, but there was always that barrier that came with being in different social classes. People didn't normally cross that line, if ever.

So this was... interesting.

Conversation came fairly easily, though he could feel Akane purposely avoiding the subject of why she needed this 'break' in the first place.

They walked around the garden, for the most part, and they talked until the sun started to set. Literally. As soon as Akane noticed the setting sun, she stopped. The pair was near the center of the garden then, where the marble fountain was.

She was about to sit down on the edge of the fountain but Sousuke grabbed her arm to stop her. "Wait, it's wet." He produced a handkerchief from somewhere beneath his waistcoat and proceeded to wipe a space on the marble edge.

"Oh." Akane's cheeks warmed at the gesture—especially because he was actually touching her—but allowed it. Hopefully the evening light was enough to cover up the blush. He was just doing his job as a butler, she reminded herself. Even though she _ did _ tell him to stop being one for a while.

She mumbled a thank you when the boy gave her the green light to sit. Then he sat down with her, on her left. Sousuke frowned a little. "You can't really see the sunset from here though," he pointed out. The view was obstructed by tall trees—which was good in the way of privacy but otherwise... not so much. Only streams of light escaped between the tree tops. "Are you sure you don't want to stand, Akane?"

He turned to look at Akane but she kept her eyes forward, distracted. "I'm sure." Seeming to return from her thoughts, she looked surprised at herself. She gave a half-smile and nodded her head upwards behind them. "I get a good enough view from up there. This is a nice change of pace—you think I'm weird."

The change in tone made Sousuke laugh. To be fair, he hadn't been able to restrain his amused smile which triggered the switch in the first place. "No, I think you're interesting."

"Hm, try again, Sousuke."

"Okay, you're fun."

Akane wasn't sure how that worked as a compliment in this context but she found herself pressing her lips together to stop from laughing so she supposed it did work. "I guess I can go with that," she admitted, bumping the other's shoulder with her own and Sousuke winced internally.

That was his injured shoulder. He rolled it as subtly as he could—it wasn't something anyone else knew. "What I meant earlier... I just didn't think anyone could get tired of V.I.P. seats to a sunset." He shrugged.

Where Akane had gestured earlier was a balcony that was connected to her room. He saw her up there sometimes when he was in the garden and wondered if she ever saw him too.

Akane shrugged as well. "You'd get tired of it too."

"I doubt it."

"Try it, then."

"Is that an invitation?"

Her eyes widened, showing off that obsidian colour. Then she laughed which made her nose crinkle. "Gee, if anyone heard you talking like that to me..." She shook her head at herself.

The comment made Sousuke feel a little self-conscious, reminding him of his place. "Why _ are _ you making me talk so casually?" He wanted to ask 'why' about this whole escapade, really. "Not that I’m complaining," he quickly added, chuckling to lighten the weight of that question.

He needn't have bothered because Akane seemed to have brought her walls down. "I'm just... tired. Stressed out. Whatever. I told you, I needed a break. And you just felt right, I guess. If Rin or Nitori had tagged along instead, I think I would've just gone to sulk in my room or something."

Laughing, she rolled her eyes at herself but her words warmed Sousuke's heart somehow.

He smirked. "Now, aren't you glad we forced you to take me with you?"

"Pfft. Lucky me."

They shared a smile. Was it just him or was there a rosy colour to her usually insanely fair cheeks? Maybe it was the sunset's rays. But when his eyes flicked to the horizon, the sun had pretty much disappeared. Late evening light wasn't that pinkish.

This should stop before either of them did something they couldn't take back, he decided. "I think I should walk you back to your room now, Akane." Sousuke stood, more hurriedly than he intended.

*

When they reached Akane's room, both of them reached out to grab the door handle so their hands brushed. Sousuke instinctively jerked his hand back.

The girl clicked her tongue though she couldn't meet his eyes. "I told you not to act like a butler—I'm not done yet."

"I didn't do that because it's my job," he replied smoothly. When Akane shot him a look, he gave a meaningful grin. They stared each other down until they could hear voices growing louder from down the hallway.

Akane whirled around to open the door but fumbled with the handle. Her frantic was contagious and Sousuke heard himself whisper loudly for her to _hurry up_ before grabbing the handle himself, wrenching the door open and shoving the girl inside.

He'll think about the repercussions of pushing an aristocrat later.

The junction where Akane had halted earlier now had Rin and Nanase talking. The two boys glanced Sousuke's way before he could go hide in the room too so he pretended to be closing the door behind him.

Rin said a few more words and then they parted ways, the redhead going towards where Sousuke stood rigidly. "Hey. Gou's leaving now. How's the lady?" He nodded his head to the entrance to the room.

"She's fine. She's resting now." Sousuke silently congratulated himself at the composed performance.

"Good, she really looked out of it just now." Rin reached past his friend for the door handle but the other moved to stand in his way. Confused, Rin raised an eyebrow. "What? We should check on—"

"Well, I just did. I told you, she's resting," Sousuke insisted, sounding less composed but his face betrayed no emotion.

The redhead looked hesitantly at the door. He'd been working in the Hanamura household longer than Sousuke and even before that, the Matsuoka-s were well associated with this family. So the concern wasn't unwarranted.

But Sousuke was pretty sure Akane wasn't done playing hookie from her aristocratic life yet. "She's in my care, isn't she? Trust me," he added for good measure.

Rin smirked in amusement but shrugged. "Alright. Shall we head back to the dorms then?"

It was posed as a question but he was already walking down the hall, heading for where the butlers' quarters were. The taller boy stayed rooted where he stood. Maybe _ he _ wasn't done playing hookie with Akane either.

"I think I'll stay here for now, in case Aka— milady needs anything." He tried to say it as plainly as possible, as if the job was a drag, but there was no way Rin could've missed how he almost called the lady by her first name.

Rin's red eyes widened. "_Whoa_, what'd I miss?"

"Nothing."

"I heard y—"

"Back off, Rin." That would've been a lot more intimidating if Sousuke didn't sound flustered. He hoped Akane couldn't hear that from the other side of the door.

It made the other boy snicker. "Okay, okay, just remember that she's still the daughter of our employer, you naughty butler.” He threw a friendly punch at Sousuke's uninjured shoulder before sauntering off.

Sousuke didn't realize he was holding his breath until he let it out when his friend disappeared around the corner. He scanned around him one more time before opening the bedroom door. "Akane?"

His breath was wrenched from him when something grabbed him by the front of his waistcoat and the boy was yanked into the room. The door clicked shut and he found himself pressed against it, Akane smirking up at him.

"That's for pushing me earlier. It's only fair." She released him, taking a few steps back.

Sousuke straightened himself and smoothed out the clothes the other rumpled. "Sorry, did you _ want _ to get caught?"

Akane giggled cheekily, her nose crinkling. She waded further into the room, plopping down onto the bed. "That makes it sound like we're sneaking around."

"Well, we kind of are." He followed her dutifully but remained standing by one of the bed posts, leaning on it and smiling down at her.

"Scandalous."

"That's what makes it so thrilling." That made them both laugh.

It _ was _ funny, he supposed, but suddenly he was reminded of Rin's parting words. An aristocrat with her butler... It sounded like a bad chick flick. But they were just having a bit of fun so he shouldn't worry too much, right?

And he'd like to think that if he did get in trouble for being informal, Akane would come to his defense. Because they were kind of friends now. Right?

"Sousuke?"

Her voice pulled the boy out of his thoughts and he hummed in acknowledgement. He peered at his charge who laid spread-eagled on the bed and mentally chastised himself for thinking how she looked so beautiful then.

"Come here," she told him and Sousuke did. He sat next to her as she sat up.

Then she kissed him.

Sousuke jerked away. "Whoa."

Akane's onyx eyes widened in panic. “S-sorry, did I read this wrong?"

"No, but..." _ Shit_, what was he saying? "Akane, I work for your family."

Her lips twitched in an almost-laugh. "Yeah, I noticed, Sousuke."

"I'm your _ butler_."

"Not right now..." Her voice was soft as she cast her eyes downward, sounding disheartened.

This was awkward. "Look, you're really great but—"

Akane cringed audibly, covering her red face with her hands. To be turned down with a line like that? Too embarrassing.

"—I _ work _ for you," the boy said again, moving to stand.

But Akane grabbed his sleeve before he could walk away. Her eyes were determined as they locked with Sousuke's. "But if you didn't?" she dared to ask. Her cheeks were still red but she refused to break their gaze. "If you didn't work for me, would you kiss me?"

He should say _ no _ and dispel any idea their relationship could be anything more than professional. Being friends was already pushing it. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't think of the girl in that way. Sometimes, he watched her more intently than he knew a butler should. He had reasoned that it was simply because the girl was hot so his attraction to her was normal but superficial.

In his silence, Akane worked up the courage to stand close to Sousuke. The latter didn't move away. "We'd get in trouble," he ended up saying.

"Moments ago you said it'd be thrilling."

"Yes, but—"

"_Please_," she pleaded. Frustrated, she huffed and looked away. "I'm not dumb, I know this is a risky move. But it's not like I'm looking for a relationship."

"What do you want then?"

"To be blunt? Sex." Sousuke snorted a laugh which made the other smile smally. "So if you're okay with it, just for tonight... I'd like you to hold me."

Sousuke thought about it for a second. "Just tonight?"

It took Akane a little longer to reply too. "Yes. Just tonight." She gave a confident smile. "I know the difference between lust and love."

The boy debated whether he was okay with that. He did like Akane, she was fun and he knew this from the beginning, because as her butler, he was by her side most of the time. But _ as _ her butler, he didn't even consider fanning that spark into a flame—especially if it was going to end up burning him.

But here she was, Hanamura Akane offering herself to him with no strings attached. If they both agree on it, it couldn't hurt to indulge, right?

He answered her with a kiss.

*

True to her word, their scandalous relationship ended the night it started.

Sousuke didn't even stick around for the morning after, worried Hatsue or some other maid might try to enter the room. Or even Rin. So he got dressed, kissed Akane goodbye and left.

He was still her butler though and as usual, his was the first face she saw when she woke up the next morning. They acted like nothing had happened between them, even when it was just the two of them in the room. Sure, they sometimes shared meaningful glances but that was that.

Akane seemed a bit more relaxed after their night together but pretty soon, he noticed her building her guard up again. Then she started looking just like how she did moments before she roped him into 'taking a break' that fateful day. Even Hatsue was sighing to the other maids about it. Momotaru said something too because he heard Chigusa discussing it with Gou.

It was a little _ sad_... especially after she had admitted her tiredness to him but what could he do?

Suggesting they sleep together again, as much as Sousuke wouldn't mind it, would be asking for trouble. So he watched from afar, giving smiles and the occasional wink behind everyone's backs.

Just to let her know he'd be there, in case she needed another break.

Akane honestly considered doing that multiple times. She wasn't infatuated with her butler, no, but there _ was _ something about him.

She thought this as she looked down at the garden one day, leaning on the railing of her balcony and watching Sousuke get briefed on something by Seijurou. In a row with some of the other servants, his defined back and broad shoulders were straight as he stood at attention. He looked good in a waistcoat, Akane thought absentmindedly.

He rolled his right shoulder, reminding the girl of an injury he had told her about before he got up to put his clothes back on.

As if sensing her eyes on him, Sousuke glanced behind him and then upwards. Their eyes met. Akane's heartbeat sped up a little, embarrassed at being caught staring. But the boy didn't seem to mind. He smirked and nodded his head as subtly as he could. Akane lifted a hand to wave tentatively and then gestured for him to turn back around.

He didn't—until Rin, next to him, nudged Sousuke's elbow with his own. Akane giggled quietly to herself. Sousuke smiled warmly. Even from this far, he could tell that her nose crinkled. He turned around, satisfied.

"Akane-san?"

Akane whirled around at the voice. Blinking, Hatsue slowly lowered a tray of tea onto the dresser. "You okay, milady?" she asked carefully.

"I'm fine."

Hatsue nodded. "Yamazaki was assigned something else to do today so if you need anything, just call for me, instead. Would you like me to pour some tea for you?"

"No. Thank you, Hatsue."

The maid bowed her head and made to leave the room.

Akane bit her lip in hesitation. "Wait!" Could she trust her? Hatsue had been working for her for a long time and the two had even formed a slight friendship—nothing scandalous like the one with Sousuke but enough for them to be on a fairly casual first-name basis.

Hatsue had stopped on command, facing the other with mild confusion.

The aristocrat walked towards her so she could ask in a low voice, "I need a favour, Hatsue, one you can't tell anyone."

"Anything, Akane." Maybe using her name would set her heart more at ease.

Akane took a few deep breaths. "I need you to purchase some pregnancy tests for me."


	4. Tonight With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Future) Sousuke and Akane decide to try something new in bed but get interrupted.

"Anything you say will be used against you—"

"Your body."

After a pause, Sousuke snorted a laugh which made the girl beneath him giggle too. Tightening his hands, the handcuffs clicked into lock around Akane's wrists. She yanked on them a little to test their durability. Sousuke smiled at the sight. His girlfriend looked beautiful spread out on his bed, in only black lingerie which showed off how her exposed skin glowed. Her hair, usually braided, now lay splayed around her head on his pillow like a halo.

The boy himself didn't have a shred of clothing on. He glanced at the handcuffs and then scratched the back of his head, smile lopsided. "Is this weird?"

Akane looked up at him, nose crinkling lightly in an almost-snicker. "The handcuffs or having sex in your dorm?"

"Both."

"The possibility of getting caught _ is _ kind of thrilling."

"I wouldn't make it a habit, Akane," he pointed out but gave a mischievous grin. He leaned down and kissed her deeply, hands tracing her bare sides.

Immediately reciprocating, Akane put her arms over her boyfriend's broad shoulders, the handcuffs trapping him in her embrace. She pulled away briefly to say against his lips, "And the cuffs were my suggestion, weren't they?"

Sousuke moved on to kiss her jaw and then her neck, humming lowly against her skin. Akane could feel the vibrations from his chest atop her own, making a shiver run up her spine. The metal around her wrists clinked together as she tried to bury her hands in Sousuke's dark hair.

"I gotta admit I was a little surprised."

"Yeah?" Akane asked, cringing a bit at how quickly he had gotten her breathless.

Sousuke lifted his head to look down at her, smirking because he could tell what she was thinking. "Yeah. More so when you suddenly called me _officer_." Quirking an eyebrow, he took a moment to appreciate how the blush spread across Akane's face.

Glaring at him, she tried to save face. "You would look really hot in a uniform though."

"I wear a uniform every day."

"Uh huh. You're impossible, Sousuke."

They laughed. As if to make it up to her, Sousuke kissed her lips again, licking into her mouth. It seemed to appease her. "But maybe we can forget the roleplay, after all," she said between heated kisses.

Sousuke could only nod, impatient too, moving his hands to her back to unclasp her bra before stopping. "Uhm..."

"What now?"

"I don't think we can take this off now that the handcuffs are on."

Akane blinked. Then she threw her head back with a groan. Chuckling, Sousuke lovingly swept Akane's hair from her face which made her smile shyly. "Hatsue really should've given me a set of instructions along with the so-called gift."

She thought back to when her best friend had suddenly dumped a prettily wrapped box on her lap, saying how this will help spice things up in the bedroom for her and Sousuke. Akane had blushed profusely when she opened it but brought it anyway when Sousuke invited her to sneak into his dorm later that night.

The couple had never been very adventurous in bed before and that fact was starting to show.

"Or maybe we just suck at stuff like this, babe," Sousuke suggested.

"Maybe," Akane grumbled, frowning. "But you're not getting bored of... the usual?"

"No." And then, feeling concerned suddenly: "Are you?"

"No way! Holy hell, Sousuke, you're like sex on legs."

Sousuke chuckled, kissing the other's crinkled nose. "Takes one to know one."

Humming appreciatively, Akane pulled Sousuke down by her hands, still linked by the handcuffs behind his neck. They kissed, slow and chaste but just as deep as their previous kisses. These were the best ones, Akane thought to herself.

Then there was a knock on the door. _"Hey, Sou, you still up?" _

Sousuke jerked away from his lover so fast, the metal link of the handcuffs momentarily dug into the back of his neck. He hissed at the pain but his focus was trained at the voice from the other side of the door. "Rin." He looked back at Akane the same time she did.

There was panic in her obsidian eyes.

Another knock triggered them into action.

_ "Sousuke? I think I forgot my keys." _

Thank God for that. "Yeah, yeah! Just a minute!" Sousuke quickly scrambled to get out of Akane's arms and the girl sat up.

"I thought you said he'd be practicing till late with Nitori!" she whispered, already moving to climb down the ladder of the bunk bed. With the handcuffs, she had to be extra careful and Sousuke watched to make sure she got down safely. Ugh, this would've been a lot easier if he had won that bet for the bottom bunk.

On the floor, Akane rushed to find her discarded clothes, thankful that they put it aside properly when they started stripping down.

_ "Oh wait, found it." _

The couple shared a panicked look. Sousuke, who had been moving towards the ladder, shuffled his nude body back under the covers. He waved frantically for Akane to hide in the closet opposite to the bed and she did, sliding the door closed just as the front door opened.

Rin walked in and Momo trailed behind him, hands tucked behind his head in a relaxed manner. It directly contrasted how tense Sousuke felt, pretending to be casually lying in his bed with no shirt on.

His roommate deadpanned. "Gee, don't get up," Rin said sarcastically, rolling his red eyes.

"Sorry," Sousuke replied but he offered no explanation. "I thought you're helping Nitori train tonight?"

"Yeah, I just needed to get something." Rin walked over to his desk, not noticing the pile of clothes draped over and on his roommate's chair.

Momo did a mock-salute to Sousuke. "Hi, senpai."

"Hey, Momo. What are you doing here?"

"Bumped into Rin-senpai in the hall. I decided to join in on the extra training—wouldn't want Ai getting too excited about being alone with his idol."

Rin smacked the back of his head but said nothing to him. "I could use your help, Sou."

Sousuke chuckled. "I'm good."

"What are you up to anyway?" It appeared that Rin didn't find what he was looking for in his desk because he was now at their shared closet, about to open it.

"Don't!" Sousuke blurted.

Surprised, the redhead turned, eyebrows knitted in the middle. "What?"

The taller male breathed deeply. _ Shit. _ "Don't open that."

"Why?"

Sousuke bit his tongue. "Remember that bet I won?" Another bet. They did a lot of those.

Momo looked between his two seniors, confused by their exchange.

Equally appalled, Rin stared at his old friend. "You mean the one from when we were _ kids_?" They had raced each other in elementary, betting that the loser had to do whatever the other wanted. Rin lost but Sousuke had yet to use that against him in so many years.

"Yeah, I'm calling it in now. Don't open that closet, no questions asked."

Rin blinked at him while Sousuke stared back steadily, impressing himself with the amount of composure he held in that moment. Slowly, Rin lowered his hand from the closet handle.

Whether he was about to agree to it or not, they might never find out because Momo interrupted the tension by shooting his hand up into the air. "I'll do it!" he volunteered.

"No, Momo—!"

Too late. The ginger slid open the closet doors to reveal the clothes hanging or folded inside—and the handcuffed girl in her underwear, tucked in one corner. Sousuke palmed his face, groaning inwardly.

The two other boys stared at the girl sitting in a fetal position as if trying to make herself look smaller and hide. It wasn't working very well in her favour. "Akane?" Rin sputtered.

“H-hey.”

Sousuke threw his pillow at the other boys' backs. "What the hell, guys? Look away!" He sounded angry but that was mostly to mask his embarrassment at being caught.

Rin and Momo apologized quickly and spun around to face the front door which was thankfully closed behind the latter when he entered. Keeping the blanket wrapped around his lower half, Sousuke climbed down from his top bunk. Akane got up to walk over to where their clothes were too.

Behind the others' backs, Sousuke handed his jacket to his girlfriend because if they couldn't take off her bra with the handcuffs on, she wouldn't be able to put her shirt on either. The boy slid his boxers and jeans back on and helped Akane into her skirt.

"Where's the key?"

Akane struggled to wipe her hair back from her flushed face. "What key?"

"For the cuffs."

"Uhm..."

"_Akane_."

"Hatsue said these were cheap ones th-that just had clasps or something!"

The boy grabbed her hands, fumbling to find some way to unlock the handcuffs or just pull them apart or _ something_. "Obviously not. Ugh, she did this on purpose."

"Probably." Akane looked even more embarrassed now, knowing that the others could hear every word they were saying. "Sorry..."

Sousuke tried to smile, giving her a quick soundless kiss. "Maybe you should've asked for that instruction manual after all."

The effort to restrain a giggle still made her nose wrinkle, the familiarity of which was so endearing that it warmed Sousuke's heart, despite the situation.

Rin cleared his throat hesitantly. "I'm pretty sure Iwashimizu knows how to pick locks. I can, uh, call him over, i-if you want?" His voice was soft and he still had his back turned to them, his shoulders hunched upwards slightly.

The couple looked at each other. Did they have any other choice?

*

It turned out that it _ wasn't _ Iwashimizu who could pick locks but Uozumi instead. Thankfully, Rin didn't divulge any details when asking the former for help but it was probably enough to raise suspicions. Iwashimizu better not ask any questions at practice tomorrow.

Anyway, so the blonde directed Rin and Momo (who went with him to escape the room) to Uozumi instead who had to be woken up for this. Upon reaching Sousuke's dorm and seeing the situation for himself, Uozumi _ really _ woke up.

Akane had seated herself on Sousuke's chair by his desk. Her skirt was modest enough but the fact remained that she couldn't slide her hands through any sleeves so she had ended up wearing her boyfriend's Samezuka jacket around her. Right then, Sousuke was glad they hadn't taken off her bra before putting on the handcuffs.

The boy, after finally putting on a shirt, had been sitting on the floor beside her but stood when Rin guided Uozumi into the room. "I thought you were getting Iwashi—"

"Turns out it was Uozumi who knows, okay? But I didn't tell either about Akane so..." Rin waved his hands in the air vaguely, refusing to look in her direction.

Sighing, Sousuke rubbed the back of his neck tiredly but held out his free hand to shake Uozumi's. "Hey, uhm, thanks for this..."

Though younger, Uozumi was actually taller than Rin but still shorter than Sousuke. He couldn’t look either in the eyes then. "Yeah, n-no problem." He knelt down in front of Akane and got to work on the cuffs. Red-faced, he avoided looking anywhere else, knowing the boyfriend was probably watching carefully.

He tried to unlock the handcuffs quickly but sleepiness and awkwardness made him slower and more skittish than he was. Still, it didn't take long for the metal to click open and free Akane's hands. She rubbed her wrists and smiled as the boy got to his feet. "Thank you—Uozumi, was it?"

"Yeah."

Sousuke clapped him on the back. "I don't think I need to tell you that this stays between us, right?" The warning in his voice almost overshadowed the embarrassment.

Uozumi nodded more quickly than necessary. "Nope, crystal clear. I won't, uh, say anything. To anyone."

Nodding too, Sousuke gestured to the door to send him away. Uozumi exchanged some too-polite words with the boys who had summoned him outside the dorm before heading back to his own. Apprehensively, Rin and Momo went back inside the room just in time to see Akane slip on her blouse over her head—which they pretended _ not _to see.

Before either could get a word out, the couple leaned in for a kiss. Rin coughed to interrupt them. "So... you okay, Akane?"

"Yeah." The girl blushed, one hand reaching for her hair. "Thanks, Rin. And you too, Momo."

Beside her, Sousuke looked humbled as he put an arm around his girlfriend. "Seriously. Sorry about this. We really didn't think you'd come by the room."

Rin had the nerve to snort. "Evidently."

"Shut up."

Akane smacked his arm but had to suppress a smile. She turned to the others again, pressing her hands together to plead, "Please don't tell anyone about tonight—I'm sure it was awkward for everyone involved." Her, for the most part, she thought.

"You can say that again." Momo laughed but that earned him an elbow in the side from his captain. "But, uhm, about that..."

As if on cue, Nitori burst through the door. "Is Akane-san okay?"

The blush returned to Akane's cheeks. "Y-yeah... Hey, Nitori."

The gray-haired boy smiled smally. "Momo told me you were handcuffed? How did that even happen?"

Ignoring his question, everyone looked to the guilty ginger who raised his hands in surrender. "Ai was wondering why we were taking so long so I just, you know, texted him what happened," he explained sheepishly.

"Momo!" both Sousuke and Rin snarled.

While Momo apologized several times over, Nitori frowned. "I'm sorry too then. I didn't think I wasn't supposed to know."

Akane sighed softly and then giggled to herself, shaking her head. "That's fine. I mean, it's only Nitori, right?"

"Right!" Momo was quick to agree. He neglected to remind them how Iwashizumi might ask why the swim club captain asked for help about handcuffs in the middle of the night. Or how Uozumi kind of knew what happened too now and he had _ his _own circle of friends.

Sousuke seemed to have forgotten too as he looked down at Akane with gentle cerulean eyes. "You're way too easy on them, you know."

The girl only smiled and leaned up to kiss his lips briefly. "I should head home."

"This late at night? No way, I'm not letting you."

"I don't want to impose anymore—"

"You can stay," Rin mumbled, trying to keep a straight face. "You should."

"The senpais are right. The boys of the Samezuka swim club are gentlemen, after all. We can't kick a girl out!" Momo grinned widely.

Nitori too offered a smile. "We're already keeping one secret. What's another?"

Akane couldn't tell if he was teasing them. The short boy might _ look _ all sweet and innocent... She turned to her boyfriend who was, of course, smirking down at her. She could tell he was embarrassed again from all that support though.

"You're staying, Akane," he said firmly.

It brought a smile to her face.

After that, Rin finally got the stuff he needed from the closet and left for the swimming pool with Momo and Nitori in tow. Once they were alone, the couple climbed into the top bunk bed again and got comfortable under the covers.

"Want to pick up where we left off?" Akane suggested as she was pulled flush against her boyfriend, poking his abdomen over his shirt.

Sousuke waggled his eyebrows playfully. "With the handcuffs?"

"No." They laughed. She snuggled against his chest, listening to the steady thumping of his heart. "Maybe we'll revisit that another time. I just want to be with you tonight, Sousuke."

Hearing those words, the boy hummed contentedly. "I just don't want to be randomly interrupted again," he had to say.

To prove his point, his phone buzzed in his pocket, reminding him it was there at all. Akane giggled but the other groaned exaggeratedly as he pulled the device out to check the new message. "It's from Rin. What the hell? The guy just left."

"What did he say?"

"Hold on..." A couple of taps later, Sousuke read the message aloud. "_'__Will text you before heading back to the dorm.'_" There was a few seconds of silence before he dared to say, "Think we can go one around before they come back?"

Akane was already slipping her hands under his shirt. "Well, if you do it right..."

Taking that as a challenge, Sousuke tossed his phone aside and pressed the girl into the bed.


	5. A Different Time With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (AU) Set in the Future Fish AU, Officer Yamazaki meets a pretty pastry chef at a cafe.

Not working felt great, Sousuke thought on his first day off in a long while. In all fairness, he liked his job as an officer of the law but if he didn't catch a few breaks, he was sure he'd end up old and grumpy and probably with a beer gut like some of his seniors on the force.

Walking down a random street in the city, he stopped at a newspaper stand to glance at the headlines. He shivered, the lack of motion allowing a chill to go through him. Would it be a total cliche if he got himself a cup of coffee and maybe a doughnut right then?

He glanced to his left and spied a tasteful-looking cafe a few shop lots away. Hm... Across the street from it, the officer caught movement out the corner of his eye.

A car was put into park and as the driver's door opened, a long slender leg exited. With it, a woman followed. Her fitting clothes complemented her figure well and Sousuke felt just a little gross for thinking that.

Ah, there was just _ something _ about pretty girls that made people want to be around them.

He really needed to get laid.

Sousuke shook these thoughts out of his head and turned his head back to the stand in front of him, looking at the magazine covers now.

He must be delusional because not a minute later, he was glancing over to his eight o'clock to see the woman again. She was bent at her waist to grab something from the back seat of her car. Boxes, a pastel pink in colour. A whole stack of them in her arms. When she rose, she jerked her head to flip her dark brown hair over her shoulder.

Kicking the door closed with that beautiful leg again, she locked the car, making it beep twice. She checked for cars before crossing the road, struggling a little with the boxes in her arms.

What kind of gentleman would ignore a lady in need? Sousuke didn't really think he'd actually get the chance to talk with the woman but, hey, duty calls. She seemed to be heading for the cafe he was eyeing earlier anyway.

He took large strides to reach the woman before she got to the cafe's door. "Need some help there?"

"No, I'm—" Her answer was immediate but when she turned her head to see him, she paused. The corners of her pink lips twitched. "Actually, yeah, that would be great."

The man had to refrain from smirking. He carefully took the boxes from her—and was surprised. "Oh, wow, these aren't light," he remarked.

She swept her hair back again, with her now-free hand, laughing sheepishly. Her eyes lingered on his arms. "Yeah, I nearly dropped them."

"Well, I'm glad I could be of assistance."

She hummed, lips pressed together as she met his gaze steadily. "Lucky me." With that, she reached for the door's handle and pulled it open.

Sousuke stepped through and noted the emptiness of the cafe. Must be too early. He waited to hear the door close behind them before speaking over his shoulder, "What's a pretty girl like you carrying something so heavy by yourself?"

"Oh. It's because I don't have a slave, I have to do things myself. You see, I'm against human trafficking."

"What a surprise, me too." Sousuke turned around to give the girl an amused grin.

She laughed which caused her nose to crinkle a little. "Smooth talker, huh? I like you. The name's Hanamura Akane."

"Yamazaki. I would shake your hand but..." He shifted the boxes he was holding to indicate them.

"Right! Sorry." Hanamura laughed again and stepped past the taller man to gesture to the display counter at the other end of the shop.

Sousuke walked over there and set the boxes down on top of it. As soon as he did though, someone stepped through the employee-only door behind the counter. She beckoned Hanamura over when she saw her.

"Oh, neechan, Hatsue-senpai is asking for you." Without another word, she started to put on her work apron and cap.

Hanamura sighed as she faced the man. "That's my cue. Thank you for the help, Yamazaki-san." Receiving a nod in acknowledgement, she headed for the staff room. She called out to her coworker as she disappeared: "You've got a customer, Chigusa."

It took a moment for Sousuke to realize she was talking about him. The employee called Chigusa looked at him expectantly from behind the cashier counter. Ignoring the meaningful smile on her face, Sousuke ordered a cup of coffee.

"Take a seat, we'll bring it to you."

Thanking her, Sousuke chose a seat by the large windows which let plenty of light in. It was still early so the sunlight wasn't glaringly bright. Perfect for a quiet morning. But just as he thought that, his phone rang. He would be annoyed—it was his day off, after all—but the caller ID said it was his old friend so he smiled instead. "Hey—"

_ "Sousuke!" _ Gou yelled as soon as the call was picked up. _"_ _ You turned me down even though it's your day off?" _

Sousuke rolled his eyes. "How do you know that?"

_ "Kazuma-san told me. He's complaining about you not coming to visit even though you're not working today." _

"You're at the restaurant?"

_ "Yeah." _

"Tell my brother I know he'd just put me to work if I do visit."

Gou's voice became distant then, as if she pulled the phone away. Then he heard Kazuma's voice shouting something incoherent but it made Gou laugh before she returned to the call, whining. _"_ _ Why didn't you want to hang out?" _

Gou had invited him out last night but Sousuke told her he'd be unavailable today, avoiding explaining himself because he didn't want to hurt her feelings. Too bad his brother had to open his big mouth.

"I'm seeing Rin and the guys from Samezuka later tonight. I need to preserve my energy until then." There was a reunion dinner tonight for their high school swim club, arranged by their senior Seijurou. It was sure to be chaotic so Sousuke was hoping to get some peace and quiet before that.

On the other end, Gou huffed. _"S__o _ _mean. You could've said so earlier." _

"Aw, don't sulk, Gou," he teased, chuckling a little. A coffee cup and cake was placed in front of him. "Give me a second." His friend's scolding faded as Sousuke lowered the phone to talk to the waitress. It was Hanamura. "Sorry, I didn't order this."

_ So she does work here_, he noted. The pretty girl was in uniform now, apron tied around her waist and her hair up. Some stray strands framed her face which accentuated her fair skin. She was _really_ pretty. Even more so when she smiled. "On the house," she told him.

Sousuke smiled. "Thanks."

Hanamura nodded at him before returning to the counter—where he could see two other girls spying on them. One giggled when she met Hanamura's eyes.

_ "Sousuke?" _

Hm? Right. Sousuke put the phone to his ear again. "Sorry. Why don't you come to me then? I'm just having coffee now." He wouldn't mind seeing Gou again if she didn't mind just relaxing, it had been a while, but he didn't feel like leaving the cafe just yet.

When Gou agreed to meet there, he told her the name of the cafe.

Another customer walked in then, catching Sousuke's attention, and he looked around before going to the counter. Hanamura was smiling as she asked for his order but when he answered something inaudible from this distance, her smile faltered.

People in customer service had it tough, Sousuke thought. When he helped out at his brother's restaurant, he encountered some customers who were assholes too and most of the time, he just had to grin and bear it.

But Hanamura looked more scared than annoyed which gave Sousuke a bad feeling. The two girls behind her were frozen where they were, watching the exchange too.

"Hey, Gou? I might have to call you back."

_ "What? Why?" _

Ignoring her, Sousuke stood from his seat, making the chair creak as it was pushed back. The other customer swiveled around at the sound and that was when he saw the gun in his hand. Shit.

Contrary to that nervous look in his eyes, his voice was quite calm when he spoke. "Drop the phone." Sousuke took a second so the robber pointed the gun back at Hanamura who let out a small scream. "I said drop the fucking phone!" _ Ah, there's the crazy. _

Sousuke put the phone on one of the nearby tables. Slowly, to avoid surprising the robber with any sudden movements. Then he kept his hands up. He was unarmed which may or may not be a good thing. The robber would just freak out more if Sousuke pulled out a gun too.

"Move and I shoot the girl."

This was bad. The robber was flustered enough so there were openings to grab his hand or something but Sousuke was too far away to approach without being noticed in time. He hoped the cafe had a hold-up alarm installed and that one of the employees had managed to activate it. As soon as Sousuke had put down his phone, the robber focused on the three girls behind the counter again.

"Get out," he told them. "Stand with that guy. And don't you fucking move!"

They obeyed, stepping out one at a time and standing before the robber with Sousuke. Keeping his eyes and gun on them, he walked backwards to the counter. The cash register was open and he began grabbing handfuls of cash to shove into his pockets, glancing between it and the hostages every few seconds.

"Did you press the alarm?" he heard one of the employees ask in a whisper. It was the black-haired one. She stood directly next to Sousuke.

Hanamura looked at her, lip quivering as she shook her head ever so slightly to avoid attracting attention. Chigusa, furthest from Sousuke, was already in tears but she held in her sobs as best as she could. Some still escaped.

The black-haired girl shifted again and out of the corner of his eye, he could see her carefully reach for the phone he had abandoned on the table behind her. _"__Don't__,"_ he quickly whispered. There was no way the robber wouldn't notice.

It was the first time the girls properly looked at him. Hanamura looked a little surprised when he spoke up but told her friend the same thing. "Hatsue, no, don't risk—"

"_Hey!_"

Their attention returned to the robber who was suddenly bounding over to them, the hand with the gun shaking. He grabbed Hanamura by the collar of her shirt and the girls screamed in fear. "What were you doing, huh?" he spat, pointing the gun to her scrunched up face.

Sousuke cursed repeatedly in his head. If he did anything now, the man might just shoot—

"Oh my God."

The soft voice came from the cafe entrance where a couple was standing now. Before they could rush back out, the robber moved to aim at them. That was when Sousuke made his move, grabbing the other's arm while he was distracted and the gun was changing targets. A gunshot went off and people screamed.

With a clang, the gun dropped to the floor as Sousuke twisted the robber's arm behind his back. He was weaker than Sousuke expected so it was easy to hold him and push him against a table where he squirmed. Beside him, Hanamura kicked the gun away. Sousuke opened his mouth to tell the employees to call the cops but sirens sounded right on time.

*

Since he was involved in the incident, Sousuke had to give his statement to the officers who came to the scene too. Speaking of which, Rin was supposed to be on duty today, right?

He looked around for the familiar face and found him talking with Hanamura at a table. Thankfully, the only bullet fired went into a wall and no one was injured. The couple that walked in on the scene had finished giving their statements and left. The other two employees were giving theirs too.

Finished with his, Sousuke walked over to Rin and heard a bit of their conversation.

"... kicked the gun away. Should I not have done that?" Hanamura was saying.

"It's better you don't try to engage the robber at all but I guess since he was being restrained already..." Rin's sentence trailed off. "Still, safety comes first so keep that in mind, Hanamura-san."

Hanamura noticed the other man then. "This guy engaged though." Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"It was a calculated risk," he told her, trying to smile as well.

"Plus, he's a cop." Rin's smile was the most successful at being reassuring.

The girl mumbled something that sounded like an _'__oh'_. Sousuke turned to his friend. "By the way, Rin, how did you get here so quickly? I thought they didn't manage to press the alarm."

"Oh, that. Gou—"

As if on cue, another redhead rushed over to them and hugged Sousuke suddenly. Just as quickly, she let go. "Thank God, you're okay!"

Sousuke blinked at her. "Gou, you called the cops?"

"_Of course! _ You didn't hang up and that guy was yelling so loudly so I could bits and pieces... I-I panicked so I called Rin. Was that the right decision?" Concern had made Gou's eyebrow turn almost upside down.

Sousuke smiled. "Yeah." He patted the girl's head. "How'd you know where I was?"

"You told me the name of the cafe. And I remember my friend saying she works here."

"Thanks, Gou."

Rin seemed proud of his little sister. "Yeah, you did good."

Gou only smiled. "Well, Sousuke? I drove here. If you're done, should we go?"

"Or if you're coming back to the station, you can ride with me," Rin offered.

Sousuke scratched the back of his neck and took a look at Hanamura, remembering her presence. She was already looking at him. Her expression was unreadable. He turned back to the pair of redheads. "Actually, I'll stay here for a while. You guys go ahead."

Gou frowned. "Huh? But—"

“Let him be, Gou.” Rin nudged her, glancing at Hanamura too. "Let's go. See you at the dinner tonight, Sou." With that, he pulled his sister away.

"Is that your girlfriend?" Hanamura asked, her first words in a while.

Sousuke looked at her, giving a vague smile. "Do we look like it?" He sat down where Rin did when he was taking her statement. "But no, she's a childhood friend. Rin—the officer just now—is her brother and my closest friend."

The girl nodded, one hand reaching up to finger the end of her ponytail. "Is that why you came over here, Officer Yamazaki?"

"Well, that and... I wanted to ask how you were doing."

Her lips twitched, as if she wanted to smile. "Then ask."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a little in shock. Definitely didn't expect something so dramatic this morning. And it started off so nicely too."

"Is that so?" Sousuke did smile then.

"It is. A handsome guy helped me out in the morning and I even got to treat him to some cake. He saved my life too. Then he turned out to be a cop so now I'm wondering if it's inappropriate to flirt with him after we both got involved in a robbery case."

Sousuke couldn't help but chuckle a little. He didn't mind her forwardness at all. "Well, it's an open-and-shut case. We caught the guy so... case closed."

Hanamura had the nerve to blush now, after everything she said. "Lucky me."

"You said that already."

"Well I mean it." As a moment of silence passed, she looked away and took a deep breath.

"You know, Hanamura," Sousuke tried, wishing he was better with words, "it's okay to be shaken up by what happened. It was pretty scary."

The girl hummed. "Would you comfort me, Officer Yamazaki?"

Sousuke met her gaze. "If you want me to."

"Out of duty?"

"No, because I'm a gentleman." This made the other smile so Sousuke tried his luck. If he was reading her right, this might work. "You're also very pretty and I may or may not have had ulterior motives when I entered this cafe."

She laughed and it made her nose crinkle. "Okay, you're fun."

Sousuke only smiled and the girl returned it.

"Akane."

"Hm?"

"My name. Everyone calls my sister Hana and she works here too so... it'll be better if you call me Akane instead."

Sousuke held out a hand. "I'm Sousuke. I might become a regular here so it'll be good if you learn my name too." They shook hands.

"Alright, Sousuke. To make up for the wasted meal this morning... and as a thank you, will you let me treat you to some coffee?"


End file.
